Shaken Up

The first week of school flew by - and it certainly seemed that, aside from the chattiness, everything was fine.

The problem was, it wasn't.

An email from a parent caught me off-guard on Friday morning as I was preparing to leave for school. Her daughter (who is new to our class) had been visibly upset every day - she cried on the way home, and she did not want to come to school. She was upset because she had felt excluded at lunch, especially before another student in our class invited her over to another lunch table. The student's mother was not upset, but she was concerned.

As a teacher, this was crushing. After spending so much time in preparation for creating a warm, loving, and inclusive classroom environment, a student still ended up remaining on the fringe.

What had gone wrong?

After composing my thoughts, I replied to the mother - I spoke about how we could set up a buddy system with another student in the class. That way, her daughter would have someone looking out for her (without her knowledge) to make sure she had a place to sit in the lunchroom, etc. until she got to know the other students more on her own. (And I had just the student in mind who would be a great buddy.) This idea came to me because I had just read about something similar done in the young adult fiction book Wonder (which I blogged about this summer), where a student new to the school had other students looking out for him until he was more familiar with the school and his classmates.

I also suggested that our student sit at the peanut-free table, as it is a place in the lunchroom with a smaller number of students (all girls) who are very friendly. (I figured it would be a little less intimidating.) So, on Friday, I checked the student's lunch box in hopes that I would find a peanut-free lunch (which I did!), so I suggested she sit at that table, and she did.

According to her mother, with the help of the student buddy and with my co-teacher's discussion of feeling comfortable at the start of school (during our community circle meeting), there were no tears after school on Friday. Yay!

This situation makes me realize a few things. Even though I consider myself a very aware teacher, there are still interactions and feelings among the students that I can miss. This means that we, as teachers, cannot emphasize enough the importance of students feeling comfortable to come to us should they (or one of their classmates) experience exclusion, bullying, or any other feelings of being uncomfortable. It also means that communication has to be open and inviting for parents too, when, in situations such as this one, a student lets out feelings on their parents but not necessarily at school. (And this also means that parents need to spend time with their children, asking them about their day and making sure everything is all right.)

I'm not perfect. I know that. And the mistakes I make in the classroom are ones I can learn from - such as the fact that I messed up the "I have, who has?" game on Friday during Math. However, under no circumstances are mistakes or unawareness when it comes to students' well-being something to be taken lightly or remedied slowly. These things (even if, for some reason, they are overlooked at first) must be corrected immediately, and they must be monitored and followed up throughout the year.

And I must do my best to make sure such exclusion doesn't happen in my classroom again.

Survey Says

Fill in the blank (actual student responses - spelling corrected):

Good teachers...
- are nice and strict.
- Ms. F and Mrs. R
- are ones that are intelligent, helpful, first aid-trained, fun, and nice.
- always give you enough.
- are ones that are organized.

I wish teachers would give us...
- extra recess!!!!
- less homework.
- could check work super fast.
- candy if we do a good thing.
- the answers.
- more time to study.

What are your hobbies outside of school?
- Watching Sportscenter
- tennis, climbing, and taking care of my pets
- Fantasy Football and sports
- building Legos
- swimming, going on Instagram
- drawing, catch, and taking long walks

I LOVE student surveys - the kids are so candid. (It makes me wonder what I wrote/would have written when I was in fourth grade...)

The day itself, I felt, was better than yesterday. And Math was especially productive. We even had a little extra time to learn the "banana dance," a personal brain break favorite.

I even got to see my students from last year - albeit briefly - during lunch duty. (I was outside with my students while they were inside and vice verse.) A few came over and hugged me, and most at least said hi or waved frantically. I miss them a lot - they are a very special group of young people.

A very productive day, indeed. So, I'll be off in just a little bit to treat myself to some trivia with friends at a local establishment right up the street. Cheers!

Chatty...But Still Good.

How were my students today?

Mmm...let me think...

Chatty.

Eager...but chatty.

That was the shortest "honeymoon" period ever that I've experienced teaching. We better get on fixing this stat.

But let's not jump to conclusions. Still, I'd classify it as a good day.

One student (quite candidly and to his mother) stated, "This is the best start of a school year yet. I love fourth grade!"
Another student was amazed that her and my "Math About Me" totals. (I didn't include my age or student number.) I told her we were both like the 5-5-5 (letters in 1st, middle, & last names) deal from Domino's pizza.
Students worked eagerly and earnestly on their "draw near to God" pictures (photo to come soon - turned out SO good!).

Yes, it was a good day.

And as I look to tomorrow, I am reminded of the wise words of Ralph Waldo Emerson. He reminds us that we should have a positive attitude toward each day, believing it to be the best day of the year:

Write it on your heart 

that every day is the best day in the year. 

He is rich who owns the day, 

and no one owns the day 

who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. 

 Finish every day and be done with it. 

You have done what you could. 

Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. 

Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; 

begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit 

to be cumbered with your old nonsense. 

This new day is too dear, 

with its hopes and invitations, 

to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

If we can remember this, I think it'd be easier to keep everything in perspective, don't you?

Day 1 = Done!

First day of the 2012-2013 is in the books.

And I am exhausted.

How is it that there never seems to be as much time to accomplish tasks as you really need. I mean, who thought it would take more than 45 minutes to organize all student supplies?

Guess we'll pick up again tomorrow.

And we'll do some community-building too. I'm excited to learn about each student - they have so many interests and ideas! (I can already tell.)

This is going to be a good year.

And tomorrow is going to be a jam-packed full day. That's why I know that when the bell rings at 3:15 tomorrow, I'll be ready to go home.

Hold on...here we gooooooooooooooooooo!

Confidence...

I feel like it's one of those times when I just need to breathe, think of the Sound of Music (see below), and believe that it's all going to be fine.

Because it is.

I've worked so hard for the start of this school year, and I have confidence that it will be a wonderful new school year in our 4th grade classroom.

It's time, yet again, to "teach like a champion."

Asking For (& Receiving) More

As I was walking down the corridor from the elevators at the hospital this morning, I counted up the visits I had made during my Ministry of Care duties this morning. The count came to 4 (out of 11). It's not about quantity, I realize that, but it still left me feeling a bit helpless - there I was, serving in the capacity I had originally signed up for, but I felt like I could have done more.

As it turns out, I was meant to do more - with the help of one of the hospital pastoral ministers, I received an updated list (printed specifically for today) with additional patients to see. Even though at that point I had been pretty set on leaving, I decided to gather all of my Ministry of Care materials together and head back up to the 10th floor, from where I had just come.

And I'm really glad I went back. I only ended up spending time with one additional patient when I went back, but it was time that was clearly needed by the elderly woman and, as it turns out, me. While I was saying the prayers, I realized she was praying to herself in Spanish. When it came time to pray the Our Father, we said it in Spanish instead. After she received the Eucharist, she explained that her "version" of the Lord's Prayer was a little different because she grew up in Chile.

And so I asked her about Chile, talked a little about myself (and my friends who studied in Chile with ChACE), and listened about her family. She explained how she was lucky to even be alive today, as she almost had put herself to bed after having a stroke - she hadn't known what it was.

The time went by quickly - and I soon realized I had been there for nearly 30 minutes. As I prepared to leave, she told me that I should keep trying to learn Spanish, and she asked me to pray not for her but for her daughter - but I assured her I would pray for both of them.

I truly believe God heard my prayers this morning of my heart's desire to visit with and minister to more people; it wasn't just a coincidence.

I needed that reminder, God. Thank you.

Fitting Right In

Our puzzle piece-themed door

"Welcome to 4th Grade - You'll fit right in!"...provided we finish getting the room ready - yikes!

In the grand scheme of things, I guess we've done pretty well, as far as preparation goes. But before we open our door for Open House tomorrow, there are still a few things to be done, including (but not limited to) labeling, setting up 2 bulletin boards/wall areas, final cleaning, etc.

Might have had a few freak out moments today. (Most teachers have those, right? There's just not enough time to set up the classroom in the midst of meetings, planning, and professional development!)

But, after thinking about it for most of the afternoon, I think we're looking pretty good.

Heck, I even added leaves to our "poet-tree":

Looking pretty colorful for Fall, eh?

Tomorrow morning we meet the students. To say I'm excited would be an understatement.